Sunday morning I read through 1 Samuel 1-2. I have done this several times before, but for some reason, the Holy Spirit led me to be struck by the faithfulness of Hannah, Samuel's mother. You may recall that she was one of two wives to her husband. She was barren and the other wife, who also appears to be her rival, taunted her for being barren, which was a source of great pain to Hannah. She cried out to the Lord, and the Lord heard her prayer, granting her a son (and later other children). Hannah, in keeping with her promise to the Lord, took Samuel to the temple at a young age to serve the Lord.
Here are a few lessons we can learn from Hannah:
- Do we cry out to the Lord like Hannah at sorrows, hurts, or injustices in the world? Hannah prayed so intensely that the priest at the temple thought she was drunk. What would happen if we engaged God at such a deep level in our prayers?
- In v. 17-18, Hannah hears the Word of the Lord through the temple priest. She does not know that her prayer will be granted, but she is immediately comforted by God's Word, knowing that He has heard her cry and that His will reign's supreme. In other words, Hannah is an excellent example of someone who fully gives up her burden to the Lord without taking it back. Do we do the same?
- Hannah's prayer at the start of chapter two is one of the most magnificent in all of the Old Testament. May God move each of our hearts to praise Him with such intensity that it consumes our whole being.
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